---
description: >
  The `packer inspect` command takes a template and outputs the various

  components a template defines. This can help you quickly learn about a
  template

  without having to dive into the JSON itself. The command will tell you things

  like what variables a template accepts, the builders it defines, the

  provisioners it defines and the order they'll run, and more.
layout: docs
page_title: packer inspect - Commands
sidebar_title: <tt>inspect</tt>
---

# `inspect` Command

The `packer inspect` command takes a template and outputs the various
components a template defines. This can help you quickly learn about a template
without having to dive into the JSON itself. The command will tell you things
like what variables a template accepts, the builders it defines, the
provisioners it defines and the order they'll run, and more.

This command is extra useful when used with [machine-readable
output](/docs/commands) enabled. The command outputs the components
in a way that is parseable by machines.

The command doesn't validate the actual configuration of the various components
(that is what the `validate` command is for), but it will validate the syntax
of your template by necessity.

## Usage Example

Given a basic template, here is an example of what the output might look like:

```text
$ packer inspect template.json
Variables and their defaults:

  aws_access_key =
  aws_secret_key =

Builders:

  amazon-ebs
  amazon-instance
  virtualbox-iso

Provisioners:

  shell
```
